JURIST - Paper Chase: Libby prosecutor not anticipating privilege claims by government witnesses

[JURIST] Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald [official website] indicated Friday in court papers that he was "not aware" that any government witnesses in the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby [defense website; JURIST news archive] intended to invoke executive privilege to avoid testifying, "and the government does not otherwise anticipate any of its witnesses moving to quash or limit trial subpoenas." Vice President Dick Cheney, for whom Libby worked as chief of staff, is expected to be called to the stand but it remains unclear whether he will actually testify.

If Cheney does testify, he will be the first sitting vice president to testify in a criminal case. Libby is charged [indictment, PDF; JURIST report] with obstruction of justice and perjury in connection with the investigation into the leak of the identity of former CIA operative Valerie Plame [JURIST news archive]. NBC News has more.

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